Samuel r



(No Model.)

$.11. SGHARP. FASTENING FOR RAILROAD RAILS.

No. 488,578. Patented Dec. 27, 1892 UNITED STATES PATENT Grimes.

SAMUEL R. SCHARF, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

FASTENING FOR RAILROAD-RAILS.

SPEGIFJICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,578, datedDecember 27,1892. Application filed April 19, 1892. Serial No. 29,'798.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL R. SOHARF, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain newand useful Improvements in Fastenings for Railroad-Rails, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to fastenings for railroad rails, inconnection with metal ties, and the invention consists in the novelconstruction of the fastening devices used to hold the rails in place,all as hereinafter more fully set forth.

Figure 1, is a longitudinal vertical section of the-tie, with the railsfastened in place. Figs. 2 and 4 are similar sectional views of aportion of a tie and single railenlarged to more fully show theconstruction; and Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same, also enlarged.

The object of this invention is to furnish means or devices by which therails of a railroad can be securely fastened to the tie without the useof nuts, and which will not work loose by use.

Another object is to so construct the tie and the fastenings, that asingle tie can be removed when necessary, without loosening the railsfrom the remaining ties, or disturbing them.

In order to carry out my invention I first construct a tie of metal, ofthe general form shown in Fig. 1, in which T represents the tie shown inlongitudinal section,andwhich will preferably be made of wrought met-a1,though they may be made of malleable cast iron. The sides and ends areturned down at an angle, substantially as shown, so that when properlybedded in the road bed with its concave under side filled with the earthor gravel, it will be held firmly in place, the bent ends and sidespreventing it from moving either endwise or sidewise. These ties Iprovide with a permanent clip a, for each rail, as shown in the severalfigures, and which may be formed by cutting orpunching it up from thesolid body of the tie as shown, or it may be made separately and befirmly riveted to the tie, as may be found most convenient in practice.As shown in Fig. 1, I prefer to so form and locate these permanent clipsa, that both of them will be on the same side of the rails. It will beobserved by examining Fig. 1, that the permanent clip a is on the righthand side of each rail, or as shown, one on the outside of the righthand rail, and the other on the inside of the left hand rail. The objectof this arrangement is to enable any single tie to be removed whennecessary without loosening the rails from any of the other ties, itonly being necessary to take out the removable fastenings at theopposite side of each rail, dig away the earth around and from under thetie, when it can be removed endwise from under the rails, withoutloosening the rails from the adjoining ties, or in any manner disturbingthe latter or the rails at any other point.

At the proper points at the side of the rails opposite to that held bythe permanent clips, I make a slot in the tie for the reception of thedetachable fastenings, one for each rail, and at the end of these slotsfarthest from the rail, I increase the thickness of the top of the tie,thus forming atthat point an enlargement 6, as shown more clearly inFig. 2, thereby securing a greater thickness or depth of metal at thatpoint in order to have a sufficient depth or thickness of metal in whichto form one half-of abolt hole, and which in conjunction with a similarrecess formed in the edge of the adjoining block 0 will form a bolt holethat is curved longitudinally, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. This hole, asshown in Fig. 4, which representsthe parts still more enlarged to betterillustrate its construction, is made perpendicular or straight for abouthalf its depth, and then is curved as shown. Having thus constructed thetie, I then provide a clamp b, of the proper size to fit into the slotin the tie, and which is then shoved over to the end of the slot or nearit, and made to fit over the flange of the rail and under the top wallof the tie as shown,the shape and size of the notch in the side of thisclamp being such that when forced over to its place it will clamp theflange of the rail firmly to the tie, the opposite flange being held bythe permanent lip or clamp a, as shown. To hold this clamp b firmly inplace, I provide a block 0, of the proper size to fill the balance ofthe slot, this being formed with lateral projections or flanges whichrest upon the top of the tie and preventit from dropping or being forceddown through the slot. In the outer edge of this block 0 is formed onehalf of the curved bolt hole hereinbet'ore mentioned, so

that when set in place the curved semicircular recess in its edge, inconjunction with the corresponding recess formed in the thickened wallof the tie as above described, will form a round hole, the lower half ofwhich is curved sidewise as shown. These curved recesses may be formedin the respective parts either by forging them into shape, or by cuttingthem with a milling machine, as may be found most convenient. I thenprovide a bolt 01 of wrought iron or steel, of the proper size to fillthis hole, the body of the bolt being straight when formed. This bolt isthen driven or forced into the hole, and as it is forced in it will ofcourse be curved or bent to correspond exactly with the curvature of thehole, whereby it will be so locked in place that it cannotwork loose orget out, and thus will lock the block 0 and the clamp 19 securely inplace also, the bolt d thus acting as a key to lock the clamp in place,and it may properly be termed a key. This bolt or key is made with astrong head,beve1ed on its under side as shown, so that when it isdesired to remove a rail or tie, a suitable tool can be placed under thehead to draw the bolt out, and which can readily be done by theapplication of the necessary force, the bolt of course beingstraightened in the operation of being pulled out.

The operation of fastening and unfastening the parts will be readilyunderstood from an examination of Fig. 4, in which the bolt is shown indotted lines before being driven to its seat, and in full lines in itsposition after ithas been forced to its seat. As there is little or nostrain on the bolt or key, one a half inch in diameter will be ample,and one of that size can be readily driven into or withdrawn from thecurved hole. I do not however limit it to any particular size, as thatcan best be determined by practice,and has nothing to do with theprinciple of my invention. By this construction of the tie and thefastening devices, I am enabled to produce a means for fastening therails in a very secure manner, and dispense entirely with nuts and nutlocks, and which can be readily and quickly applied, and readily removedwhen necessary.

It also enables asingle tie at any point on the roadto be removedwithout releasing the rails from any of the other ties,or disturbingthem in any manner.

I am aware that a split key has been described to be used in connectionwith a block having grooves and a wedged shaped pro ection to spread thepoints of said key and bend them when driven into place; and also that atie has been described as being composed of two plates having crookedspike openings formed in their abutting faces for the reception of aspike, and I' do not claim such devices, but

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is r.

1. A fastening for a railroad rail, consisting of the clamp b, the block0 and the bolt or key d, said block and the abutting wall of the tieeach having recesses for the reception of the bolt or key substantiallyas shown and described.

2. The metallic tie provided with a permanent clip adapted to receiveand hold the flange on one side of the rail, with a slot having a curvedrecess at its end, the clamp b, and block 0 with a corresponding curvedrecess in its edge at the opposite side of the rail, and a bolt or keyadapted to lock the parts in place substantially as shown and described.

3. A self locking fastening for railroad rails, consisting of a clamparranged to engage the flange of the rail and the tie, a block orfollower to hold the clamp in place, said block and the adjoining wallof the slot in the tie both being provided with a recess curved at theirlower portions, and a bolt or key adapted to be forced or driven intothe curved hole formed by said recesses, whereby the clamp and the boltor key are both securely locked in place substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

SAML. R. SCHARF.

Witnesses:

HENRY J. GROSS, J AMES F. DUHAMEL.

